Point Cook’s Saltwater P-9 College bans dogs from campus

A Point Cook primary school is eager to welcome pupils back to class tomorrow but has asked families to keep their “furbabies” away after students’ long break from campus. Here’s why.

Dogs have been banned from Saltwater P-9 College’s Point Cook campus

A Melbourne primary school is eager to welcome pupils back to class on Tuesday but has asked families to keep their “furbabies” away.

Saltwater P-9 College principal Jackie Daniali told parents it was banning four-legged friends in the school grounds and around the main entrance of the Point Cook school.

Parent Victoria’s Gail McHardy said many families had welcomed pets during COVID-19 and with parents and guardians working from home they would be walking dogs to and from school in coming weeks.

“Department and school policy is clear in regard to dogs not being permitted on school grounds. Dogs have to be authorised, unless of course, they are pre-approved onsite therapy dogs. They are not to be tethered to the school fence, near gateways or left unattended according to most school policies sign posted on school perimeters for school community members and visitors to see,” she said.

While the Saltwater ban might be seen as rough, Ms Daniali said the school valued pet ownership.

“While the school appreciates and values pet ownership as an educational experience, it also acknowledges that other children and adults can find contact with dogs stressful,” she said.

“Dogs can behave unpredictably when excited, and this can lead to accidents such as falls and dog bites. As a school community, we must take into consideration the needs and expectations of all members of the community and also minimise the risk of accident or injury to people or animals within the school grounds.”

Most people responded favourably to the ban on the school’s social media platforms.

It was unclear if there was an incident that triggered the ban or if the ban came as the new school continued to evolve. Ms Daniali did not respond to the Herald Sun.

One parent said there had been an increase in dogs attending school drop off and pick up and she said children were frightened as the dogs sneered at each other.

Saltwater P-9 College in Point Cook has banned dogs in the school grounds and at the main entrance. Picture: Ellen Smith

Saltwater opened in 2019 and currently offers classes for prep to Year 6. It has just received funding for stage-two of the build to add the Year 7 to 9 capacity in several years.

“Saltwater College has a duty of care to take reasonable steps to ensure that school grounds are safe for all staff, students, parents and the wider community,” Ms Daniali told families.

Ms McHardy said now more than ever, as schools negotiate a return to classes, parents and their dogs could not linger at school entrances.

“The chief medical officer instructions were clear with the return to school rules that they were not encouraging adults to stay after dropping off or collecting their children from school,” she said.

“Dogs in schools policy have been around for some time now due to past injuries of unsupervised dogs and people not taking responsibility. We can’t forget some children and adults have dog phobia or anxiety so some schools have endeavoured to keep everyone happy by having designated areas at an agreed distance for the family pet lovers,” Ms McHardy said.

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